Report Cites Pilot In Fatal 2001 Crash

October 9, 2002|By Ken Kaye Staff Writer

The pilot of a single-engine plane that crashed shortly after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale and killed a family of four in April 2001 was not licensed to conduct a charter flight and improperly loaded the plane, putting it out of balance.

These and other details were unveiled in a fact-finding report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday.

While the report does not cite a probable cause, which will be done later by the safety board, it makes clear the six-seat Piper Cherokee Six lost control because of an unwieldy weight distribution of passengers and cargo.

"The center of gravity was way outside the limit," said Jeff Kennedy, head of the safety board's Miami office. "The airplane has to be loaded within the center of gravity limits ... or there are some undesirable control problems."

In addition, pilot Peachie Tianvan of the Bahamas, the sole survivor, had barbiturates in her system when admitted to a hospital, but medical personnel could have administered the drug after the crash, Kennedy said.

Killed in the accident were Martin Arcand, 39, his wife, Yen, 32, and their two small children. The family from Montreal, Canada, had been headed to Freeport to attend the funeral of Martin Arcand's father. Tianvan was seriously injured and has since recovered, although it was unknown whether she has resumed flying.

Officials said because Tianvan, 38, was being paid to deliver mail to Fort Lauderdale, she should have held a commercial pilot's license. However, she held only a private pilot's license.

The company that owned the plane, Skobin Import and Export Inc., did not possess an air charter certificate, federal aviation officials said, and was not authorized to conduct the flight.

The owner of the firm, Peter Skobin, of Freeport, at the time said the flight was not a commercial charter but rather made under a fuel-sharing arrangement with the Arcands. Neither Skobin nor Tianvan could be reached for comment Tuesday.

Tianvan frequently flew between the Bahamas and South Florida, hauling mail and other goods for hire, the report said. In May 2000, a U.S. federal inspector in Nassau issued Tianvan a warning after noticing her plane was "full of unsecured cargo."

In the April 2001 accident, the plane's center of gravity was too far forward, the report said. That was a critical factor, considering the Piper was only eight pounds under its maximum authorized weight of 3,400 pounds at takeoff, officials said.

Cargo in a forward compartment, including ceramic materials, cardboard materials, mail, magazines and a pair of boots, was found to weigh nearly 244 pounds. The maximum for that area is 100 pounds.

Another 319 pounds of cargo were found around the cabin, the report said.

Several witnesses saw the plane make a shaky takeoff from the 9,000-foot main runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. It rolled a much greater distance than normal before lifting off and then climbed no higher than 300 feet, its wings rocking and its nose pitching up and down.

The Piper Cherokee crashed about a mile northeast of the airport in an area near some Port Everglades warehouses, slamming into a tree, losing both its wings and bursting into flames.

The safety board found no evidence of engine malfunction.

Tianvan's attorney told investigators she would submit to an interview only if she was granted immunity from prosecution. But the safety board has no such authority, and so there was no interview, officials said.

NTSB members in Washington, D.C., will make a final ruling on a probable cause.